Resort vacations hold a certain allure with quick access to restaurants and poolside drinks and two towel refreshes a day, but if you’re traveling with more than two people or for an extended period of time, a vacation rental just might be the way to go. In major cities, a well situated apartment can give you a good home base for seeing the sites; at the beach, it can you give the peace and quiet, and privacy you just won’t get at a hotel. And, you can cook for yourself.
On the one hand, some would say, “It’s vacation – why would you want to cook?” Well, if say, you’re entertaining the idea of a trip to the north shore of Kauai, a vacation rental with a kitchen gives you the flexibility to really enjoy farmers markets and eat local on your own. Depending on your budget, it can help save a few bucks as well.
I blew through New York City a couple of weeks ago, rolling in on a Red Eye Tuesday morning, and jetting out on Wednesday evening. Road warriors, I do not envy you. The red eye is a killer. Even with my short legs and an open row --3 seats worth of luxurious space -- the shuteye I got was somewhere just north of dozing. I checked into the hotel, flipped on the TV, and after a shower, I looked down onto the street below at what I can only describe as an oasis. Green letters emblazoned at street-level. In my best Homer Simpson voice, I said (it even may have been out loud), “Mmmmm. Coffeeeeee.”
If you've heard of Walla Walla, Washington, the first thing you think of is sweet onions. But over the the years, wine and grapes have been muscling in on that territory. It's in Eastern Washington, about a four hour drive from Seattle. A couple of weekends ago, we got in the car, crossed the Snoqualmie Pass and drove out for Nocking Point Wines’ spring release party. The pet project of ‘Arrow’ star Stephen Amell and his buddy Drew, Nocking Point is a small label with wines created by a few different winemakers. The party, held at sports bar in Walla Walla, gave us an opportunity to head out east and see some of Washington, at least I, hadn’t seen before.
You know who really needs Spring Break? Adults. Teacher friends, you were smart to get into education. It’s a job I know I could never do, let’s face it, unless I taught 1st or 2nd grade, all the kids would be taller than me. But more than that, you get breaks!
We’re just back from some time in Hawaii for the annual escape to sunshine, hence the radio silence around here. The one thing we didn’t have for the duration of our trip was pizza. Hanalei Pizza Company is gone, about to be replaced by a Puka Dog. So, for the first time in ages, we went 10 days without even a slice of pizza. Since we had nothing else in the house, pizza was our first meal back.
And whaddya know, my first post back is a Friday Night Slice. Today’s slice is a vegetarian Kale, Calabrian Chile & Mozzarella pie with thinly shaved garlic.
Wolf declared this the best pesto he’s ever had. I laughed, made a “yeah, whatever” face and said, “You’re just hungry.”
It’s the same basil pesto I’ve been making for years and there’s nothing all that unusual about it. I don’t put pine nuts in it and I add a squeeze of lemon juice to stave off discoloration. So, why talk about it? We made a discovery the other night. The secret here is maximum pesto, minimum noodle.
Here’s the deal. Meatballs are not pretty. They’re like most of us – dented on one side, browned but splotchy, hiding beneath a red sauce, and hoping everyone is distracted by the parmesan sprinkled over the top. F that. Today, we’re stripping it bare, because what do you have to hide? A meatball is a meatball, and done right, there’s no shame in it. I’m not your nonna and this isn’t Sunday where we have all day to cook a gravy, so let’s make some Greek-inspired, Spinach and Feta Turkey Meatballs.
We’re almost a week into Daylight Savings Time and I still haven’t quite adjusted. 7 am, when it’s just getting light, feels like the right time to get up. Any earlier, it’s pitch black and I just don’t want to roll out of bed, not even for coffee. This week’s Friday Night Slice falls on Pi(e) day, so if you happen to not be fan of flaky-crusted sweet or savory pies, or you just don’t have the time or inclination since we're all in a bit of a haze, a slice of pizza pie is here to mark the occasion. So let’s get to this week's topping inspiration – Fra'Mani soppressata, red onion and cherry tomatoes.
